Mason Jennings

About Mason Jennings

Mason Jennings (born 1975 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a Minnesota-based pop-folk singer-songwriter. He is well known for his simple yet catchy melodies, intimate lyrics, literary and historical themes, and distinct voice. His music has appeared in the surf film Shelter and he has toured extensively. Jennings is married to Amy Turany Jennings (also a singer in Minneapolis) and has two sons.

Born in Hawaii, Jennings moved with his family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at an early age. Jennings learned to play guitar at the age of 13, when he began writing songs. Jennings later dropped out of school and moved to Minneapolis to pursue his musical career.

Jennings produced his self-titled debut album in 1997 on an analog four-track in the living room of a rented home, playing all instruments himself. In October 1998, joined by drummer Chris Stock and bassist Robert Skoro, he began a weekly gig at Minneapolis' 400 Bar as the Mason Jennings Band. A little more than a week after The Mason Jennings Band was formed, it was asked to fill in for the Jayhawks, who had a standing Thursday night gig but were moving on to record for American Records. The two week gig ended up lasting four months. In April, 1999, six months after forming, The Mason Jennings Band and Mason were voted by the 1999 "Picked to Click Poll" conducted by Minneapolis newspaper, City Pages. Mason began touring nationally and expanded the depth of his sound by inviting saxophonist Chris Thompson to play with them occasionally and replacing Stock with Brazilian jazz drummer Edgar Olivera.